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Homers from A-Rod, Posada lift Yanks over Twins

Apr 5, 2011 - 4:08 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada belted two-run homers in the first two innings, leading the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win over Minnesota in the opener of a four-game series.

Ivan Nova (1-0) pitched six innings for the win, and New York's vaunted bullpen closed out the team's third victory in four games this season.

Joba Chamberlain pitched a perfect seventh, Rafael Soriano stranded a runner in the eighth and Mariano Rivera worked around a two-out single in the ninth to record his third save.

"Getting behind is not a good recipe against too many teams, especially these guys when they can do that at the end of the bullpen," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.

Rodriguez and Posada homered off Twins starter Scott Baker (0-1), giving the Yankees 11 round-trippers already this season. Baker yielded five hits and four walks while striking out two in six innings.

"We're hitting the ball well," said Posada. "Even the outs are line drives. We're feeling good at the plate, getting pitches and not missing."

Justin Morneau and Tsuyoshi Nishioka had two hits apiece for Minnesota and Jim Thome hit a two-run double. The Twins salvaged a three-game set at Toronto by winning the third game on Sunday, but were outscored 22-8 in the series.

This one was closer, but two big swings from the Yankees proved too much to overcome.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Rodriguez knocked a 90 mph fastball into the left field seats to score Mark Teixeira, who was hit by a pitch, to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Baker walked Nick Swisher on five pitches to start the second inning, and Posada homered to right field on a 3-2 pitch to make it 4-0 New York.

Minnesota cut the deficit in half with two runs off Nova in the fourth. Morneau doubled to start the two-out rally, Delmon Young singled and Thome scored both runners with a double to left field.

The Twins pulled within 4-3 in the fifth inning when Alexi Casilla doubled with one out and scored on Nishioka's two-out double. But they couldn't score against New York's bullpen and lost despite out-hitting the Yankees 8-7.

"Our starters have pitched great," said Chamberlain, "but at times we're going to get them off the hook with the talent that we have (in the bullpen). It's a luxury for us."

Game Notes

The Yankees won the first two games against Detroit to open the season, but dropped the finale of the three-game set Sunday...Teixeira has three of New York's home runs this season, while Posada belted his third on Monday. Rodriguez hit his second.